Gabriel sits uneasily in the Lanes'—well, his family's—living room. He feels like a stranger, nervously glancing around. Everything seems distant, both the interior and the people.
Mary places a warm cup of tea on the table before Gabriel and sits down, followed by Daniel. They both remain silent, watching him intently.
"Um... May I?" Gabriel asks, reaching for the tea to break the tension. His parents, realizing their overreaction, quickly respond, "Oh yes, of course! It's yours."
Gabriel's cold, trembling hands feel better as he holds the cup. He takes a sip and gazes absentmindedly at the door, which makes him choke.
"Cough! Cough!"
The door is slightly ajar, revealing the three Lanes siblings staring in with their laser-like eyes.
"Oh my God, are you okay, Gab?" Mary pats Gabriel's back in a fluster, while Daniel shoos the siblings away and closes the door.
"How long were you waiting at the gate?" Daniel asks, concern etched on his face.
"Not too long," Gabriel shakes his head firmly. "I just got here."
Right then, his stomach rumbles, betraying him. Mary and Daniel sigh, knowing he had been there for at least three hours.
"I'm sorry," Gabriel says softly, lowering his head.
"No, why are you sorry?" Mary holds his hands. "This is your home."
Gabriel looks at her, feeling even more awkward.
"Why didn't you inform us in advance?" Daniel asks. "I thought you had one more year."
"I was allowed to come back sooner because of my good record... I have the documents here."
"It's okay, honey," Mary stops Gabriel as he starts to search for the papers in his backpack, giving Daniel a strict look. "Let's go rest now. You can stay in the guest room for the time being. Wash up and come eat. I'll make something for you."
As their mother hurriedly dismisses the awkward midnight reunion, Jason, Kyle, and Anna, still standing in the main hall, exchange their thoughts.
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"So, he really came back, huh?" Kyle looks pensive.
"Time flies so fast. It's already been seven years," Jason nods.
"But... is that really... him?" Anna, unusually quiet, questions.
"Right, you were just nine when he left," Kyle recalls. "You know, he has been away because..."
"Sh..." Jason nudges Kyle, trying to stop him.
"I remember," Anna continues coldly. "He was sentenced to nine years in jail for murder when he was sixteen. That was seven years ago."
Jason and Kyle stare at her worriedly.
"So... you remember," Jason whispers.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Anna shares her thoughts with her brothers. "Not because he's a recessive, but because... it's him."
Gabriel Lanes, the third son of the Lanes family, is an ex-juvenile who has just returned from his sentence. With gray eyes, black hair, and being the only recessive in the family, one might think he is Mary and Daniel's adopted son. But no, he is their biological son. He inherited the 25% chance of being born with unevolved genes—no telepathy, no superpowers, below-average physical condition, so-so intelligence. However, like other unevolved people, he can kill without the pain-inducing natural barrier. If he had that barrier, he wouldn't have been charged with murder.
"Yeah... He's different from us, and now that I've seen him again, he's even more... different," Kyle sighs deeply, sharing his thoughts.
The night is late. Snow started falling heavily outside. In the spacious guest room of the Lanes' big house on the second floor, Gabriel sits up on his comfy—way too comfy—bed, unable to sleep. He looks blankly out the window. The pale blue light of the cold night shines on his face.
"It smells so nice here," Gabriel thinks to himself. "Do I stink? Should I take another shower?"
He sniffs himself, wondering, then decides to go to the bathroom for the third time. Under the running water, his bare skin is revealed. The skinny but solid body is marked with scars, big and small. On the desk in his room, next to the half-opened backpack, lie some very shady objects: a black badge with a sword in the logo and the word "NET," a short dagger, and a stack of photos—photos of the Lanes' other members which look like they were taken in secret. If anyone in the family saw these things right now, he or she would be shocked, thinking about reporting these items' owner.
Gabriel comes out of the bathroom, shoving his belongings back into the backpack and hiding it deep in the closet. His phone, which looks like an old piece of junk, vibrates with an incoming call. Gabriel grabs it, answering his call. If someone else sees or hears him right now, he or she would freak out.
"What do you want?" he asks the caller in an intimidating voice. "More eliminations?"
The person on the other side says something. Gabriel smirks blandly.
"I ain't coming back to that slaughterhouse, so don't bother me anymore."
He hangs up, throws himself on the bed, and tiredly closes his eyes after a long way back home.
Right now, he still has no idea that a very long journey awaits him.